


I Surrender, Dear

by christalhearsawho



Category: To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Genre: F/M, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Historical, I Tried, Major Illness, Please be nice, Slow Burn, WIP, historical fiction - Freeform, i actually did a lot of research, i couldnt find this anywhere so i wrote this, idk when ill update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 07:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17576780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christalhearsawho/pseuds/christalhearsawho
Summary: Jean Finch, a firey 23 year old fresh out of school from Montgomery, has moved in with her sister in Maycomb. The small town isn't quite as stifling as she first thought. In fact, she finds her life has just begun.





	I Surrender, Dear

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797208) by [ismisesarah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ismisesarah/pseuds/ismisesarah). 



> Note that all of my chapter titles are songs that I listened to while writing. Period accurate!!

**Chapter One: Homesickness Blues**

 

It was 1917, and Jean Graham stepped off of the train at Maycomb Junction in Abbott County, Alabama. Alabama’s ground was not quite saturated red Georgia clay, but not quite rich deep Tennessee soil either. She let out a sigh, looking around wordlessly for her sister, Louise. Louise had moved to Maycomb with her Maycomb native husband, Frank, in 1906, always leaving her home open to her sister Jean, should she ever return from school in Montgomery. 

“Jean!” Louise’s sweet voice crooned over the light crowd, reaching Jean like a welcoming breeze in the sweltering heat. Jean peered under her hat, her fiery brown eyes meeting Louise’s soft green ones. They met in the middle of the platform, Jean going in for a rather overwhelming hug, shrugging out of Montgomery like an old worn sweater. 

“Welcome home, darling! Oh, Jean, we are absolutely delighted to have you!” Louise beamed, her pink lips fluttering like petals. Jean glanced behind her sister’s weekend hat, eyes meeting Frank’s kind hat tip. Taking Jean’s elbow, Louise led her away from the platform’s bustle to their car waiting on the road. 

“Why, Lou, you’ve got a Ford!”

“Yes, well Frank gets paid rather well at the newspaper. He gets almost 50 cents for working that linotype!”

Jean nodded appreciatively, wondering how in the world she was going to pay Louise back for her substantial generosity. 

:::

“Now, Jean, just make yourself at home here, dear. Eddie, come bring in Miss Jean’s bags!” 

A colored man brought in Jean’s belongings as she sat down gently on the bed. 

“Oh, Eddie, you’ll adore Jean! She’s got one fiery spirit, but her voice is sweeter than Nora Bayes! Mr. Eddie here came from Finches Landing, and he has quite the musical talent, don’t you, Eddie?”

Eddie’s skin was too dark to distinguish any change in emotion, but Jean sensed a twinge of embarrassment. Jean rolled her eyes, kicking her boots up on the bed. Traces of red dust fell onto the sheets. 

“All that education, and still no manners,” Louise tutted. Jean ignored her all too familiar teasing, closing her eyes for a moment's rest. The soft tread of Eddie’s worn shoes retreated down the hall. 

“Lou, I really appreciate you having me until I get on my feet. I know you said the school wasn’t hiring yet, but until then is there something I can do?”

“I’ll ask around. I know you can’t just sit here all day; you’d die of absolute boredom.”

Jean nodded fervently. 

“In fact, now that you mentioned it, I’m going for a walk!” She sat up quickly, kissed Louise on the cheek in a flash and bounded out the door, into the sweltering curiosity of Maycomb, Alabama. 


End file.
